Direct negotiations between Ukraine and Russia have begun in Istanbul — the first since 2022. They are taking place at the Dolmabahçe Palace.
The Ukrainian delegation was headed by the Minister of Defense of Ukraine Rustem Umerov. The full list of Ukrainian representatives is here. From the Russian side, Putinʼs aide, who was the head of the Russian negotiating team in 2022, will lead the delegation.
Umerov stated before the meeting that Ukraine is ready for a complete and unconditional ceasefire and is ready for direct negotiations at the highest level. According to him, Ukrainians have arrived in Istanbul to find real ways to a sustainable and just peace.
"The Russians want to build associations with 2022. But all that connects the negotiations with this is exclusively the city of Istanbul. And nothing more. All attempts by the Russians to tie today to 2022 will not work," emphasized the head of the Presidential Office Andriy Yermak, who was also present at the negotiations in Istanbul.
Ukrainian and Russian delegations at negotiations in Istanbul.
Before the talks began, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan stressed in his opening remarks the importance of resuming talks between Ukraine and Russia. According to Russian propagandists, most of the meeting will be held without broadcasts and behind closed doors.
The Russian delegation is represented by low-level officials, which was criticized by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
- Ukraine and Russia are holding their first direct talks since 2022. At the beginning of the war, the parties met in Istanbul, but in the spring of 2022, the meetings stopped. Based on the “Istanbul Communiqué,” the parties concluded a major agreement. One of the drafts of this agreement, dated April 15, is publicly available — it was published by the American newspaper The New York Times. From this draft, it is clear that Russia offered Ukraine to agree to worthless, meaningless guarantees. The Russian side reserved the right to block any military assistance and at the same time demanded that Ukraine limit the size of the Defense Forces. In essence, Putin offered Zelensky to surrender — just in a more veiled form.
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